Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: The Secret History

Top positive review

Touched a nerve with me - absolutely stunning

Reviewed in Australia on 9 July 2014

I read this book after already being familiar with The Goldfinch and The Little Friend.
I am a classic scholar myself (rather been one 25 years ago) and the book has special appeal for me.
Tartt's books are not an easy read but they are why literature is such a marvelous art.
Her books make me wish I could read them again as for the first time...

3 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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How can Penguin put their name to this

Reviewed in Australia on 17 April 2022

So the look and feel of the book is cheap and nasty. The text is aligned to the right, so you have to practically break the spine of the book to read the text. Absolute rubbish production. But for 8 bucks, you get what you pay for.

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2,061 total ratings, 723 with reviews

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From Australia

How can Penguin put their name to this

Reviewed in Australia on 17 April 2022

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Dr Wayne G Reid

Terrible in every way.

Reviewed in Australia on 29 July 2020

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This was a painful read. I tried my hardest but the narration killed it for me.

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Sue

different

Reviewed in Australia on 27 June 2014

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Intriguing book. Kept one guessing till the very end. Very different which made one want to read on and find out what happens next.

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Judy F

claustrophobic world

Reviewed in Australia on 30 November 2013

The world recreated here is tense and closed to others. The reader is allowed in, but only gradually comes to know the full extent of the absorbed self interest of the characters and the ugly outcomes of their dependence on each other. It is an exhausting closeness mostly unrelieved by lighter moments. Well written and does keep the reader engaged.

3 people found this helpful

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Tully

Sample Read Gives False Impresson

Reviewed in Australia on 8 May 2017

I thought i was in for a lovely treat based on the sample read - about philosophical discussions- a type of modern take on Aristotle type classroom environs. But all I got was chaos and violence! I had to stop 1/4 way through given the extreme violence and large portions that made no sense. A pity as the characters were intriguing in the sample read.

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Mr. M. Walsh

A Solid Three

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 October 2018

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Here's my review: the epilogue felt earnt. This was because the book felt so very bloody long.

It's not a bad book - but it's pretty anemic fare when you look closely. You'd think that ancient Greek would provide a charming and interesting motif. You'd be wrong. Like most of the book, it's thin set dressing for a medium-interesting melodrama that doesn't really go anywhere.

It's nicely written, but not so much as to ever make you stop and marvel.

The characters are strangely thin. The plot seems poised to set them up as being profound, but then fumbles it. I did wonder if this was a thematic point, but I don't really think so, on reflection. The characterisation is also somewhat....bloodless. Again, I don't really this was deliberate *enough*. Meaning: I think it was deliberate, but serves no overarching purpose, like you'd hope.

It's fine. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.

60 people found this helpful

Charlotte

Protracted, dull and pretentious

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2020

Verified Purchase

I hated this book. I read to the end as I wanted to find out what the outcome was, and all the good reviews of it had me hoping against hope that it could turn around.
It doesn't. This book is extremely dull; very little actually happens, the characters are caricatures of either American college kids or Classics scholars, and the whole story could have been wrapped-up in about a third of the time it takes to read it.

25 people found this helpful

Londongirl

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2018

Verified Purchase

This book was far too long. I couldn’t relate to the characters and it just lacks something. I wouldn’t describe it as a thriller. I almost gave up but did finish it begrudgingly. I kept hoping there’d be a big twist but *spoiler alert* there wasn’t. I had read The Little Friend and, although also very long winded, really enjoyed it. Oh well. Don’t think I’ll be reading another Donna Tartt book anytime soon. The reason I still have three stars is she is a good writer in so many ways. The ways she describes even the mundane is amazing. Just a shame she describes the mundane so often 😫

18 people found this helpful

Book Worm

Like salted caramel, you have to finish it but wish you hadn't bothered!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 March 2021

Verified Purchase

Perhaps if you are a Greek Classics student you might find deeper meaning in this? However, neither the characters or the story line made me want to bother looking up all the references or translate the phrases used.

The main event of the story was set up with enough mystery and quirky circumstances to keep me reading - that and the fact that it was one of my Book Club books - but none of the central characters were likeable and I didn't really care much what happened to them. Their superiority and behaviour towards others and each other was unpleasant most of the time. You could say most of them got their just deserts but the ending just fizzled. I would like to ask the author 'what was the point?' It wouldn't make me want to read another book by her.

4 people found this helpful

Monica

Goes on a bit...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2021

Verified Purchase

Had to give this 3 stars because it got such good reviews from other people. There is a story here, but it's swamped by endless circuitous conversations. Might make a good film, where one could actually see the young people - I have to admit I kept having to remind myself that they really were young. There is no real definition of character so sometimes it seems that only the chatter is real and the personalities are swimming vaguely underneath it all.

I'm not sure whether I'm going to finish this. I started jumping about halfway through.

2 people found this helpful

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